Unanticipated Harvestby S Shane Thomas

Thermal scans of the asteroid field revealed biological
activity. Something large and worm shaped thrived within the desolation of cold
rock and frozen gas in the heap of cosmic leftovers in orbit outside the star’s
ring of planets. Miners reported to the colonial starship’s Earth Habitat to
observe worms from the home world in thin sheets of dirt. The vehicle the
miners used to harvest raw materials from asteroids also resembled and mimicked
the function of an earthworm. Through a series of augers, drills, and carefully
placed explosives, their remarkable mechanized worm burrowed through asteroids
and planetoids. Its belly housed numerous refining processes to separate sought
after material from detritus. The unused remainder, thoroughly mulched, slid
out its back side and filled in the hole.

None of their preparations anticipated the aggressive
response the planetoid’s original occupant displayed. Sixteen days into their
operation with their payload nearly seventy percent harvested, the three
hundred foot long machine detected the native worm fast approaching. The twelve
miner team living within its twenty five foot diameter corridors of scanning
and processing equipment rushed to duty stations. There were no weapons aboard
such a work vessel, and their carrier spacecraft was of no use perched on the
planetoid’s surface with a half mile of minerals between them.

Ruthers and Digby sat at the pilot’s console keeping their
mechanical worm on schedule while a living being with roughly the same
dimensions barreled through solid stone right toward them.

“How are we supposed to fight that thing?” Digby said, he
cocked an eyebrow at his partner.

“We could bite it I suppose, but all that flesh and gore
would dull the blades,” Ruthers replied “And that’s not to mention the smell.”

“Should we turn around to face it?” Digby pressed.

“If we did bite into it, we could contract some space
disease,” Ruthers continues “I didn’t sign up for giant space worm heebie
jeebies.”

The curious concern dissolved into outright panic when the
real worm entwined itself around the mining equipment. Alarms sounded, crew
members desperately wrenched controls, but the metal excavator was outmatched
by its biological counterpart. For fifteen terrified minutes the vessel
lurched, rocked, and weathered the storm created by its unrelenting and
aggressive adversary. Ruthers and Digby did indeed attempt to retaliate but
their efforts proved ineffectual. The real worm wiggled its way behind the
mechanical maw and continued its strange attack.

A sudden violent spasm gave the mining worm a shudder. A
section of the cargo hold breached and the mechanical systems initiated a lock
down of the compartment, thankfully no crew members found themselves trapped in
the sealed segment. Then, the worms separated and the aggressor disappeared.

The crew performed a diagnostic and adjusted their digging
path to return to their transport shuttle sooner since one of their empty cargo
holds had been compromised.

Back aboard the colonial starship biologist reviewed the
sensor readings during the attack. Ruthers and Digby accompanied an intrepid
Biologist named Dr. Stanley to the ruptured compartment. The three wore
biohazard suits while the entire excavator sat in quarantine. The pilots pried
the doors open to a room coated in thick organic material.

“It must be worm blood,” Digby guessed.

“Hardly,” Dr. Stanley said “This does confirm my theory. The
animal on that planetoid mistook our equipment for a mate.”

The pilots gaped. Digby wrapped his arms around his waist
and gently rocked on his heels.

“I feel violated,” Ruthers stammered, as he attempted to
wipe the spore from his glove.